Strands#265 Did You Hear That?
Quizzes & Puzzles4 mins ago
So How Is Red Ed Going To Achieve A Price Freeze?
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Bribery? Nationalisation? Subsidy?
Bribery? Nationalisation? Subsidy?
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AOG - I also live in Stoke, and the effect will be considerable, given the generations of unemployed created by - in no particular order - the downsizing of the Mitchein plant, the closure of the Shelton Steel Works, the closure of the local coal mines, and the virtual elimination of the pottery industry.
How anyone can say that outourcing to India is 'in the interests of the customer' is beyond me.
Why passing call centre posts to a foreign country, where operatives may understand and speak English, but whose accents make them incomprensible, benefits the customer, I have no idea.
I do know that firms like Direct Line found it such an issue, that they relocated all their call centre staff back to the UK, and even made it a proud boast in their advertising campaigns.
If the boss in question had the honesty to confirm that labour costs are a fraction of the costs in India, which will push up his shares and bonus then he would have the dignity of honesty at least.
How anyone can say that outourcing to India is 'in the interests of the customer' is beyond me.
Why passing call centre posts to a foreign country, where operatives may understand and speak English, but whose accents make them incomprensible, benefits the customer, I have no idea.
I do know that firms like Direct Line found it such an issue, that they relocated all their call centre staff back to the UK, and even made it a proud boast in their advertising campaigns.
If the boss in question had the honesty to confirm that labour costs are a fraction of the costs in India, which will push up his shares and bonus then he would have the dignity of honesty at least.
// Wasn't it Labour who reduced the amount of power firms so reducing competition? //
No. The firms are private businesses and there are more of them now than in 1997 (When Labour came to power). I do not recall any additional regulation under the Blair/Brown years. If I am wrong, I am sure you will furnish me with the details.
// Gromit I do believe you live somewhere near Stoke on Trent, what are your feelings regarding Npower shedding 550 jobs in Stoke and sending them to India? //
nPower is a German Company and is not really bothered about British jobs. Offshoring jobs to India improves their balance sheet so they will not hesitate to do it. Last year nPower made £390million profit, an increase of 25% on the previous year. There is very little we can do because they are a private company. If you live in the area and have nPower as your provider, you could drop them in protest. nPower are just doing what is best for their German owners. I blame the fool who flogged it to them (for a knock down price) in the 1980s.
For the record, I live in Cheshire, about 8 miles from Manchester City centre.
No. The firms are private businesses and there are more of them now than in 1997 (When Labour came to power). I do not recall any additional regulation under the Blair/Brown years. If I am wrong, I am sure you will furnish me with the details.
// Gromit I do believe you live somewhere near Stoke on Trent, what are your feelings regarding Npower shedding 550 jobs in Stoke and sending them to India? //
nPower is a German Company and is not really bothered about British jobs. Offshoring jobs to India improves their balance sheet so they will not hesitate to do it. Last year nPower made £390million profit, an increase of 25% on the previous year. There is very little we can do because they are a private company. If you live in the area and have nPower as your provider, you could drop them in protest. nPower are just doing what is best for their German owners. I blame the fool who flogged it to them (for a knock down price) in the 1980s.
For the record, I live in Cheshire, about 8 miles from Manchester City centre.
AOG
The 12 Regional Electricity Boards became the Big Six through a series of mergers and aquisitions. The Government is powerless (no pun intended) to prevent private companies merging. It was neither Labour policy nor a desire that these firms paired down to become just 6.
It is interesting to see the fate of the original 12 regional boards which we all owned, and how they are now largely in Spanish, German and French ownership.
-------
South of Scotland Electricity Board became Scottish Power Plc. In 2007 it was acquired by the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
North of Scotland Hydro Board became Scottish Hydro-Electric Plc then went on to merge with Southern Electric to become Scottish & Southern.
East Midlands Electricity Board. Acquired by Powergen in 1998. The retail supply business is now part of German E.On.
Eastern Electricity
Sold to the US firm Texas Utilities and became TXU Energi, part of TXU Europe. In 2002 it was sold to Powergen, which was subsequently acquired by the German utility company E.On, and the operations were rebranded in 2004.
London Electricity Board. Acquired by US based Entergy in 1996 for £1.3bn ($2.1bn). Acquired by EDF International in 1998.
Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board. Manweb plc was acquired by the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
Midlands Electricity Board. now uses the name of its German parent E.On. The supplier side of the former MEB business is npower UK.
North Eastern Electricity Board. The electricity distribution business is today operated by CE Electric UK, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. The successor company to the retail supply business is npower aGerman company.
North Western Electricity Board. Merged with Northwest Water in 1995 to form United Utilities, the electricity businesses of which were subsequently sold off, with the retail supply arm of Norweb becoming part of TXU Energi, now part of E.On.
South Eastern Electricity Board. Now owned by UK Power Networks along with Eastern Electricity and London Electricity. It markets to the public as part of Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI).
South Wales Electricity Board, later known as SWALEC. SWALEC was later acquired by Scottish & Southern Energy plc, part of Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
South Western Electricity Board, SWEB was acquired by London Electricity (owned by EDF) in 1999. The distribution business is part of Western Power Distribution and the retail business is part of French EDF Energy.
Southern Electricity Board merged in 1998 with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc to form Scottish & Southern Energy plc. The combined company markets outside its traditional areas under the SSE branding.
Yorkshire Electricity Board. Sold to the US company Innogy in 2001, and then acquired by the German utility RWE the following year.
The 12 Regional Electricity Boards became the Big Six through a series of mergers and aquisitions. The Government is powerless (no pun intended) to prevent private companies merging. It was neither Labour policy nor a desire that these firms paired down to become just 6.
It is interesting to see the fate of the original 12 regional boards which we all owned, and how they are now largely in Spanish, German and French ownership.
-------
South of Scotland Electricity Board became Scottish Power Plc. In 2007 it was acquired by the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
North of Scotland Hydro Board became Scottish Hydro-Electric Plc then went on to merge with Southern Electric to become Scottish & Southern.
East Midlands Electricity Board. Acquired by Powergen in 1998. The retail supply business is now part of German E.On.
Eastern Electricity
Sold to the US firm Texas Utilities and became TXU Energi, part of TXU Europe. In 2002 it was sold to Powergen, which was subsequently acquired by the German utility company E.On, and the operations were rebranded in 2004.
London Electricity Board. Acquired by US based Entergy in 1996 for £1.3bn ($2.1bn). Acquired by EDF International in 1998.
Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board. Manweb plc was acquired by the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
Midlands Electricity Board. now uses the name of its German parent E.On. The supplier side of the former MEB business is npower UK.
North Eastern Electricity Board. The electricity distribution business is today operated by CE Electric UK, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. The successor company to the retail supply business is npower aGerman company.
North Western Electricity Board. Merged with Northwest Water in 1995 to form United Utilities, the electricity businesses of which were subsequently sold off, with the retail supply arm of Norweb becoming part of TXU Energi, now part of E.On.
South Eastern Electricity Board. Now owned by UK Power Networks along with Eastern Electricity and London Electricity. It markets to the public as part of Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI).
South Wales Electricity Board, later known as SWALEC. SWALEC was later acquired by Scottish & Southern Energy plc, part of Spanish energy utility Iberdrola.
South Western Electricity Board, SWEB was acquired by London Electricity (owned by EDF) in 1999. The distribution business is part of Western Power Distribution and the retail business is part of French EDF Energy.
Southern Electricity Board merged in 1998 with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc to form Scottish & Southern Energy plc. The combined company markets outside its traditional areas under the SSE branding.
Yorkshire Electricity Board. Sold to the US company Innogy in 2001, and then acquired by the German utility RWE the following year.
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